Fifty Shades of Phoebe
by raspberrycheesecake
Summary: Starting around 15 years after the trilogy ends, Teddy is heading off to college, and Phoebe is left without her big brother. Sick of always being the perfect daughter, she begins to rebel.
1. Chapter 1

Fifty Shades of Phoebe

**Disclaimer: I won't be writing one of these on every chapter, so just so we are very clear; I am ****not**** E L James! Fifty Shades of Grey, nor its sequels, in any way belong to me. **

**A/N: My first attempt at a 'Fifty Shades' fanfiction; I hope it goes well! It begins around 15 years after the trilogy ends. Most of this story will be told from Phoebe's point of view, though these may be a few characters whose POV we see in later chapters.**

**Also, please take into account the M rating, as there will be adult themes throughout this story.**

Phoebe's POV

I look in the mirror at my appearance. Today I'm dressed in some overly expensive green designer dress and heels. I feel ridiculous, it's not that the outfit isn't nice - it's actually absolutely gorgeous - but it's just so not me. My brown hair is all pulled into some unnecessarily intricate up-do and it's so tight that it feels like someone has given me a face lift. Picking up the outfit-matching handbag, I turn away from my appearance and head out of my room to find my parents.

"Wow, for a second there I almost thought you were a girl, but I know better." My brother, Teddy, quips as he leaves his room all dressed up.

"How strange, for a second there _I _almost thought you weren't an asshole, but I know better." I tell him, as I lock the door to my bedroom. After he finishes locking his room, we both set off down the hall, towards the living area, ready to be greeted by our parents.

"I'll bet you 20$ that Mom cries at least once tonight." Teddy tells me as we walk.

"That's a guarantee, no way am I stupid enough to take that bet. I will, however, put money on Grandma getting all teary-eyed."

"Also a guarantee, I'm her only Grandson and she's incredibly proud that I'm succeeding in life. She cried at the graduation, of course she's going to cry at my last family meal before college." He says.

"Valid point, how about this, then, my money is on Grandma to cry first. You willing to put yours on Mom being first?" I ask, by now we've both stopped in the hall and I watch as his face changes while he ponders the proposition.

Clearly having made a decision, he holds out his hand, to which I do the same. "Deal."

"Deal." I say, as we shake hands.

As soon as we enter the living room, I'm sure I'm about to lose the bet. Mom's eyes go all glassy just looking at us. "Gosh, my two beautiful children, growing up so fast every day." She says, coming over to us. "I can't believe my little boy has graduated, oh I'm so proud of you Teddy!" She pulls him in for a hug.

"As am I, son." Dad says, stepping forward and reaching into his pocket. He pulls something out. "Which is why I would like to give you this, consider it a graduation present." He says, as he throws him a set of keys for what I can only assume to be a car. Both of our mouths drop open.

"Does that mean I can drive to the restaurant tonight?" He asks, as he toys with his new keys.

"Yes, you may so long as you drive safely." He tells him, looking serious. I turn to Teddy and then look to Dad, and then back to Teddy, hoping one of them will answer my un-asked question. It is Dad who answers. "It's your brother's car, so it's his decision." He tells me. I look expectantly at Teddy.

Sighing, he turns to me and rolls his eyes, "Fine, but it's my car, which means it's my music." He tells me and I grin.

"Wow, this is a sweet car!" I say, running my hand along the paintwork.

"Audi S8," he informs me, "one of the safest models around." He laughs; clearly this was Dad's choice.

"I like the black, looks very sophisticated." I tell him.

"Yes, I, Theodore Raymond Grey, am the most sophisticated of the whole Grey clan." He says, in his most pompous voice.

I laugh, "You sounded so much like Dad then," I say, as I open the door. "Oh, man, how do you intend to keep this clean?" I ask, looking at this beige leather interior.

"I won't be. I'll be paying someone a lot of money to get it completely clean whenever I know I'll be seeing Dad." He says, climbing in.

Behind us, in climbs a guy in a black suit, he looks to be around Teddy's age. I turn to Teddy and raise an eyebrow.

"This is Joe, the security Dad hired to go to college with me."

"Joe's your last name?" I ask, turning to look at him.

"No, ma'am, my last name is Stokes. Theodore, however, felt that if we were to be spending lots of time together then we should be on a first-name basis." He replies.

I ponder this for a moment, "In that case, so long as I'm calling you Joe, you can call me Phoebe." I tell him, awkwardly reaching my hand around to shake his.

"You both belted in?" Teddy, asks us. We both show him our seatbelts. "Awesome, let's get going then!" He says, as he turns the key in the ignition and music starts to blast through the speakers.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Double-posting today, just to get this story going! **

**Also, Mrs. Taylor-Jones is just Mrs. Jones' married name. **

Phoebe's POV

"Holy shit, Teddy! Are you trying to get us killed?" I say, as he pulls up beside the valet. My knuckles are white from holding onto the handle, above the window, too tight. He must have reached around 100mph along the freeway.

"It was fine, besides it's not like Dad's going to find out." He tells me, laughing, having clearly enjoyed the ride. I look to him, then to the back of the car, and raise my eyebrows. "Fuck, you aren't going to say anything, are you Joe? Shit, I didn't even think!" He says, wide-eyed, as he looks to Joe.

"I supposed I needn't tell Mr. Grey about this." He says, stiffly, clearly uncomfortable with lying to his boss so early in the job.

"Well done, you twat." I tell Ted, lightly punching him, as the valet opens my door and I climb out.

Ted and Joe climb out the other side, "Oh, come on, it was fun." Ted says, smirking. By this point, Joe has started smiling too. I roll my eyes as I feel a smile form on my face. "See, told you it was fun!" Ted laughs as he walks around the car and hands the keys to the valet.

Just behind us, a white convertible that I recognise pulls up. "Oh my God! You never told me they were coming!" I screech, as my Aunt Kate, Uncle Elliot and Cousin Ava. I run over to Ava and give her a huge hug. "I had no idea you were coming!" I tell her and she laughs.

"Of course we were going to come; it's Teddy's last family meal before college!" She tells me as we turn to walk into the restaurant.

"Oh, wonderful, you're here!" Grandma says, as soon as she sees us. I go over to give her a hug and kiss on the cheek, before doing the same with Grandpa. "Mia will be here soon." Grandma informs us, and a slight tension hangs in the air.

"How is she?" Teddy asks, concern clouding his features.

Grandpa sighs, "Not good, this will be the first time she's left the house since, well you know." He looks sad, clearly affected by everything.

"Come on, guys, cheer up!" Kate says, clearly faking her smile, "It's Teddy's leaving meal, we aren't having anyone getting upset, you hear me?" Her voice cracks as she speaks, but she sits down and remains smiling and composed. Elliot reaches out and takes her hand as he smiles at her. The small act visibly comforts Kate and she begins to scan the menu, as if nothing was said.

Once the rest of us are all seated, Mom and Dad come in, followed by Mia, Taylor, Sawyer, Mrs. Taylor Jones and Sophie. They all found their seats and reading through the menus.

After everyone had ordered their food, casual conversation started, and all the tension from earlier evaporated, as we reminisced about Teddy's childhood and all the crazy things he did. "Do you remember when you were little, while your Mom was in the hospital with Phoebe, your Grandmother and I looked after you?" Grandpa asks Teddy.

"Vaguely, why?" He asks, looking suspicious and like he's concerned that he's about to be embarrassed.

"Well, you were very grateful for us taking care of you, and felt that you needed to thank us properly. So you decided the thing to do would be you would bake us a cake." He continues, as Grandma, Mom and Dad all begin smirking. "Well, you'd helped your Grandmother bake a lot of cakes, in the past, so you knew most of the recipe very well. Of course you did forget something pretty important."

"Shit, I remember this story!" Teddy says, as he begins to laugh, and goes red with embarrassment.

"Theodore, language!" Mom cries at him, looking around to ensure nobody heard.

"What did he forget, Grandpa?" Ava asks, curious.

"The bowl!" Grandpa tells us, chuckling. "Your Grandmother and I came into the kitchen to find eggs, sugar, flour, icing sugar, chocolate powder, butter and lots of other ingredients all in a heap on the floor. There were entire nutmegs bobbing around in the mess, and Teddy was just sat on the floor, covered in the ingredients, attempting to stir them with a teaspoon!" By this point we're all laughing at Teddy's younger antics, as he puts his face in his hands.

After she finishes laughing, Mrs. Taylor-Jones begins to tell us one of her Teddy memories. "I remember, when you were only about 4 or 5, you had been bought a sandpit for your birthday. It was your most prized possession; you'd spend all your time outside, building sandcastles. Well, one day, you'd built one that you were incredibly proud of and wanted to show everyone it. So, you came inside, to find me just finishing up cleaning up the house, and you asked me to come outside and see it. I told you that I just needed 10 more minutes to try to finish the cleaning, and then I'd be out. Of course, you were an incredibly impatient child, so when I turned around, not 2 minutes later, I saw the sandcastle had been plonked down in the centre of the living area. Sand was trailed all the way in the house, behind it, on the freshly-vacuumed carpet."

"Oh, God!" Teddy moaned. "Why did I do shit like this? Fuck, I didn't mean to swear! Shit, I did it again. Damn!" He looked over at Mom, worried about being chastised for his swearing. Instead, she was struggling to keep a straight face and seemed to be trying to ignore Teddy's infraction.

"Sweet, got away with that one." Teddy whispers in my left ear.

"You know, for someone who's 18 years old, you're still pathetically frightened of getting told off, it's hilarious."

"Hey, they just bought me a car; I am not having that taken away anytime soon."

"Point taken." I say, as I begin to hear sobbing from the end of the table.

"I just can't believe my little boy has grown up so fast!" Mom cries, wiping her tears.

In my peripheral vision I see Teddy smirking, "Shit." I say quietly, as I pull 20$ out of my hand bag and slide it into his waiting hand.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank-you to those of you who have read this story already, I hope you like where I'm going with this!**

Phoebe's POV

"Can Ava stay at ours tonight?" I ask Mom, as we're leaving the restaurant. She turns to Dad and they seem to have a silent conversation, using just their eyes. After a few seconds, he nods slightly.

"Yes, so long as you both behave." She tells me, and then she turns to Ava, "Are you staying tomorrow, for Teddy's party tomorrow, as well?"

Ava looks at Aunt Kate expectantly. "You heard her, so long as you behave. That includes not getting wasted. Understand?"

"Yes!" She says, grinning, and the two of us head out to Teddy's car.

"Ava's staying then, I assume?" Teddy asks, as she climbs into the seat behind me. I nod, and open the window, letting the warm summer air flow through the car.

"Who's this guy?" Ava says, pointing her thumb in Joe's direction.

"Ava, talk about a rude way to ask!" I tell her. She shrugs her shoulders and I roll my eyes, "_This _is Joe, Teddy's new security guard."

"I didn't know you had your own security guards. When did that start?" She asks.

"Around the time I said I was going off to college." Ted replies. "Oh, and it's only me with one, even Dad hasn't gone so far as to getting Phoebe one yet."

"You're going to Washington State University. That's not really far; and hardly worthy of needing additional security!" She looks outraged at the idea.

"Yeah, well that's my Dad for you." Teddy tells her.

"Sorry, guys, but your Dad is so unhinged it's unreal." She informs us, Ted and I remain silent, but a smile plays on his lips as he turns up the radio.

Back at the house, Ava and I head straight up to my room for a catch-up. "So, tell me all about Brad!" I tell her, as soon as we're sat on my bed. Brad's her latest boyfriend, who she's been dating for the last few months.

"Well, he's really nice. As you know, he's on the soccer team, but he's captain this year! He's actually surprisingly clever, especially with things like maths. For our first date, he took me to dinner and then a movie. He even waited until right until the end of the night to try and kiss me, which is refreshing. We talk most nights on the phone, and he always sends me a 'Goodnight' text." By this point she's blushing a lot and has a massive smile plastered on her face. "God, Bee, I think I might actually love him. I mean, I know it's crazy, and I always said I would never do anything as ridiculous as falling for someone at a young age, but wow, he's just great. Especially recently, I mean, I don't know how I'd have gotten through these last few months without him."

I look at her sympathetically. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you more through it." I tell her, apologetically.

"Don't be so ridiculous, you did help!" She says, hugging me. "I think Brad helped me because, while he knew Ethan in passing, he didn't really know him, so he wasn't grieving. I mean, I didn't feel so much guilt talking to him about it. I tried talking to Mom, but she cried all the time, and Dad was supporting her so I couldn't talk to him. That's why I haven't rung you much in these last few months, I just didn't want to bring it up and upset anyone over it."

We sit in silence for a few minutes, just hugging. It feels good to spend time with my cousin again. Until this year, we'd seen each other for at least a few weeks every summer. It's been months since I've even heard from her, though.

"So, do you reckon you're going to sleep with him?" I ask her, after we've finished hugging. She smiles coyly. "You didn't, already, did you?!" Her cheeks redden and she avoids my eyes. "Oh my God! Ava! How could you not tell me? I need details!"

"Well, it was just after the funeral. Mom and Dad went to stay with Mia for the weekend, to help her sort through Ethan's stuff and generally make sure she was okay. I didn't really want to be home alone, so I asked Brad to just stay over and he told me he would. So, that night, just before bed, he grabbed a blanket and started heading downstairs. I was all like 'Where are you going?' and he told me he assumed he was sleeping on the sofa, like he usually does. I asked him if he'd just stay with me, because I really didn't want to be alone. So, he climbed into bed with me and was clearly trying to sleep far away from me, so I wouldn't be uncomfortable. So I sort of shuffled over and hugged him, then before I knew it, we were kissing and my hands were starting to sort of reach down his boxers. He pushed me off, and said he thought it probably wasn't the best time, I think I must have looked quite hurt, though because he backtracked really quickly. He started to rant about how it's not that he doesn't want to, just that I'm in a vulnerable state and he doesn't want to take advantage. So, I just looked at him and told him I needed him. Then he kissed me again, and kept asking if I was sure." She tells me.

"So, how did it actually feel?" I inquire. "Was it fun? Did it hurt?"

"There were no fireworks and the planets didn't align, if that's what you mean. It was nice."

I wince. "_Nice?_"

"Nice. It wasn't perfect, but it was comforting and just what I needed right then. It didn't hurt, much, it was more like a pressure, and honestly I was really paranoid the whole time. I didn't know how much to move my hips, or if I was supposed to moan or how my face was supposed to look. I think I should have relaxed more; maybe I'd have enjoyed it more, then. Not that I didn't enjoy it. It was just a very foreign experience." She sighs, "I don't really know how else to describe it. I guess you'll find out one day."

"Did you orgasm?" I ask, worried. Maybe orgasms aren't that great, if she just describes them as _nice._

She chuckles, "I thought I had. There were these moments when it was really pleasurable, and I was sure I was having an orgasm. After, I was a little disappointed, sort of like 'What's all the fuss?' 'That's it?' It wasn't until we were having sex a few times later that I actually had one, and well, wow!"

I laugh with her, "So you're really happy together, huh?"

"I am, yeah, at least for now." I look at her quizzically. "Well, I'm not being completely unrealistic about it. I mean, odds are we'll break up. 'High-school sweethearts' only happen in movies, and as much as I'd sometimes love for my life to be a movie, I accept that it's not."

"You're so pessimistic, you know that?"

"I prefer to think of it as being realistic."

"Fair point, so, what film shall we watch?"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Once again, I'd like to say thank-you to those of you who have read this fanfiction so far, I hope people start reviewing soon!**

**Also, as much as I wish I could, I can't promise that updates will always be this regular.**

Phoebe's POV

"Phoebe and Ava, time to get up!" Mom calls from downstairs. I groan as I roll over to check my clock. Expecting me to be awake at 10:00am on a Saturday is beyond unreasonable. I bury my face in my pillow and shut my eyes again.

Something jolts me awake, yet everything is still black. I pull the pillow off my face and glare at Teddy, who's standing in the doorway with a smug smile on his face. I throw the pillow back at him but he dodges it, laughing.

"Mom says if you and Ava aren't up in 5 minutes then you're both going with them to the gala tonight, instead of staying here for the party." Before I can even begin to protest, Ava is out of bed and headed into my en-suite.

"Guess we will be staying." I say, grinning.

"Not if you aren't out of bed as well." Teddy reminds me and I groan as I climb out of bed.

"So, who's even coming tonight?" I ask, as I begin to moisturise my face.

"Not many people, just a few of my old school mates and my college roommates. Oh, and I think Ava's boyfriend and a friend of his will be here, though that's obviously for yours and Ava's sakes."

"Old school mates, eh? Anyone I know?" I ask.

"Louise, Hayley, Lucy, Zoey, Dan, Tom and Matt will all be here. I think they're the only ones that you know."

"I've heard of Lucy and Matt, not met either of them, though. So, will Joe be around tonight?"

"You really think Dad would actually leave adults without at least _some _supervision?" He jokes, I chuckle. Ava really did have a point, saying how unhinged he was.

"Sorry for taking so long." Ava says, as she comes out of the bathroom, "I was just on the phone to Brad, we haven't spoken for a few days and he wanted to see how I was. He said he's really excited to see me tonight." She says, grinning as she blushes.

"Well, I don't want to hear about my cousin's love life, so I'll be going." Teddy says, as he shuts the door and goes into his own room.

"About time the pair of you got up." Mom jokes when we get downstairs. "Gail made breakfast; pancakes, mango, strawberries and maple syrup. It's on the side. Hopefully the pancakes are still warm for you."

We both race over to get our delicious-sounding breakfast. It smells so good, as soon as we've grabbed our plates and forks, we both tuck right in. Gail's cooking is exquisite, as usual.

"Now, girls, we need to talk about this party tonight." Mom says, from her seat on the sofa. She pats the spot next to her, and Ava and I both take our plates over. Ava gets over there before me, and steals the comfy armchair, leaving me to sit by Mom. "Now, as you both know, we are trusting you to behave yourselves tonight. Taylor and Sawyer will both be out with and Christian and myself; of course there will be a few other security around, but this is a huge step for both of us and this is a privilege that we ask you to respect. Are you with me so far?" We both nod in agreement. "Good, now, Christian and I are not dumb, we are fully aware that you will probably want to drink some alcohol tonight." She looks pointedly at both of us. "We are okay with this, as we feel this is a safer environment than being out on the streets drinking. We only ask that neither of you get into such a state that can't stand up, nor do we wish to end up with vomit all over the floor." _Gross. _"If that happens, we have already told Gail that she is to get you out of bed at 6:00am to clean it up. Is that understood?" We nod once again. "Finally, by the time Christian and I get home tomorrow, at midday, we expect the entire house to be exactly as it is right now. That rule goes for Teddy as well, as I told him earlier, and that does _not _mean that you leave Gail to do it all. If we find out that you have left it to Gail, there will be severe consequences. Are we absolutely clear on all of this?" We both nod, yet again. "I said, are we clear?"

"Yes, Mom, we're clear." I say. She looks to Ava.

"Yes, Ana, clear."

"Good, now both of you go up and get dressed. We can head out shopping for a new outfit for each of you and then go grab some lunch."

"Thank-you, Mom!" I squeal, as I reach over and hug her before running up to my room to get ready.

"Hey, can I borrow this top?" Ava asks, grabbing my bright orange _Moschino_ sleeveless top out of my wardrobe, and putting it on anyway. "I think it would look really cute with my denim shorts."

"The high-waisted ones that you just bought?" I ask.

"Yeah, and I can wear these with it." She says, as she puts on the shoes from last night, a pair of _GUESS_ Oliane platform sandals.

"Sure, I hardly ever wear the top anyway, to be honest. I've got some cute _Betsey Johnson _earrings that might look good with it, if you want." I point over to my earring rack. "The orange flower drop ones, see them?" She takes them from the rack and puts them in.

"I love them." She tells me, as she pulls her honey-blonde hair up into a high top bun and begins to apply light make-up.

Looking through my wardrobe, I grab out the first sweater I find. It's an ill-fitting, thin, cream-colored sweatshirt, with _More Issues Than Vogue _printed on it. I pull on my favourite jeans, light denim skinnies, and then grab out my brand new _Giuseppe Zanotti_ lace-up sneakerswith two front zips.

After applying some foundation and mascara, we're both ready to go. Grabbing our phones and bags, we head outside, to where Mom is waiting in the car.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: First of all I would like to thank all of those of you who have read this fanfiction so far, and an even bigger thank-you to all of you who have favourited and followed. Also, thank-you to both '****Twilight Hunger games Woman' and 'Lesbonmots', who have both reviewed this story.**

Phoebe's POV

"That looks gorgeous!" I tell Ava, as she comes out of the dressing room in an amazing floral printed Bardot skater dress. "That's it, that's the dress you're wearing tonight."

She twirls in it, laughing and toys with the skirt. "You sure it's not too short?" She asks. "Your Dad will freak if either of us are wearing anything he thinks is 'inappropriate'." She does mock air quotation marks and rolls her eyes.

"You could always put a longer skirt over it for when Christian sees you." Mom suggests. We both look at her, shocked. "Though, I would never suggest such a thing that would definitely make him flip out. Would I, girls?" She says, looking pointedly at us and we both shake our heads. "Good, anyway, I need to go and sort something out; shall I meet you two at the food court in, say, an hour?"

"Awesome, yeah, okay." Ava says and I realise that means that I can get away with buying a much shorter dress, if Mom isn't there to see them. While Mom may be okay with Ava wearing a short dress, that courtesy will definitely not be extended to me. Ava's grin confirms that she's realised it, too.

"Here," Mom says, getting out her credit card and handing it to me. "The code is the first four numbers of mine and your Father's anniversary. Just don't go spending too much." Grabbing her handbag and phone, she heads out of the store.

I turn back to Ava and shake the credit card with a smile, "You're getting that dress, and I have some cute heels at home you can borrow to wear with it."

"Fine, but now you need to find something!" She says, excitedly. I groan; I've always hated shopping. I mean, I like wearing clothes, but I'd rather purchase them from the comfort of my own bed.

"No fucking way!" Ava says, as I come out of the dressing room in an oversized dress and leggings. A simple, comfortable outfit, that completely destroys any decent figure that I may, or may not, have.

"I'm going to a party at my _own _house. Why do I need to dress up?" I groan.

"Because I said so, besides, it's fun." She tells me, passing me a stunning red dress that Dad would definitely deem too short.

"BCBG Max Azaria halter dress with draped overlay." Ava reads from the label.

"I can read it myself, you know." I say, grabbing the dress and looking at the label. "$420.84?! I cannot spend that much on a dress!"

"Sure you can, your parents are loaded!" She toys with the credit card, grinning. I close the dressing room curtain, and strip out of my clothes.

After getting the dress on I contemplate my appearance, the dress shows off my slim body and legs. For the first time in my life, I feel incredibly sexy. I pull back the curtain.

"Yes! Oh my God, that dress is fabulous and you look awesome!" Ava tells me, grinning. I blush at the compliment, feeling vain for thinking the same. "Well, come on then, get dressed and let's go pay!"

The cashier serving us gave us both a very obvious once-over as we nonchalantly hand over the credit card to pay for our overly expensive goods. She looks down at the name on the card and her eyes visibly widen. "Please put in your PIN code, _Mrs. Grey_." She says, sarcastically, turning the machine to me. I don't bother to correct her as I input the code, she seems surprised that I know it, as she hands me the receipt and bag.

"Oh my God, we're gonna look so hot tonight!" Squeals Ava, as we leave the shop. "I need to show you something in a bit, as well." I look at her quizzically. "Not here, I'll show you later."

"Okay then," I say, looking at the time. "Mom's meeting us in 20 minutes. Want to go anywhere else?"

"I, umm, need to go to the pharmacy." She says coyly.

"How come you need to go to the Pharmacy?" I ask. She blushes bright red. "Oh! Yeah, okay, let's go to the pharmacy."

"Did you get some clothes, girls?" Mom asks once we're sat down to lunch.

"Yeah, I bought the dress that you saw me in." Ava tells her. Just as I'm about to cut in, she continues, "But, Bee didn't bother with getting anything; all the dresses we found were so short that Christian would have never let her wear them!"

I raise an eyebrow at her and she shrugs her shoulders. "Then again, she could probably wear a habit and Christian would still have a problem with it." Mom quips. Ava and I snigger at the joke, "So what do you intend to wear?" She asks me.

"I'll find something." I mutter, biting into my food to avoid continuing the conversation. She raises an eyebrow, clearly not believing me.

"So what was it you were going to show me?" I ask Ava, as we walk behind Mom to the car. She reaches into the shopping bag and pulls out a matching silver necklace and earring set. "Oh, they're cute! Where'd you get these?" I ask, taking them out of her hand.

"Where do you think?" She says, grinning slyly.

"I've got no idea." I say. She cocks her head. "Oh my God!" I say, shoving them back into the bag and looking around. "You shoplifted?" I whisper.

"Brad taught me how. I don't do it often, but it's such a rush!" She says, as we speed up to catch up to Mom. "Trust me, if you did it, you'd understand."

"But it's not like you can't afford the stuff." I say, confused.

"It's really not about the money; it's just feels so good when you get away with it."

"Surely you're worried that the alarms will go off, though?"

"Yeah, but that's all part of it! It makes it so fun!" She tells me.

"Shh!" I whisper, "Someone'll hear you."

"What's fun?" Mom asks, as we catch up to her. I look at Ava pointedly, sure that she won't get us out of this mess.

"Sex." Ava lies, smoothly. Mom's eyes widen.

"I'll pretend I didn't ask."

"That's probably for the best, and I'd prefer it if you didn't say anything to Mom about this, Aunt Ana. Please." She begs convincingly.

"Like I said, I'll pretend I didn't ask." Mom says as she continues walking. Ava winks at me and mouths, 'Fixed it!'

Walking on, I think about the ways in which Ava has grown up since I last saw her. Sure, having sex, shoplifting and lying aren't the best ways to develop, but they seem to have worked. In comparison to me she seems so mature; maybe it's time for me to grow up, too.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm ever so sorry that it's been quite a few days since the last update; between work and starting college, life has been really hectic.**

**Thanks again to all of you who have read so far, with special thanks once again for Lesbonmots, Twilight Hunger games Woman and Northshorex02.**

**In answer to the question I was asked regarding where Ava lives, she does live in Seattle. She and Phoebe just haven't seen each other in a while because of their lives getting in the way.**

**Now, without further ado, on with the story!**

Phoebe's POV

"Hmm," Dad says, as he contemplates our outfits. "I suppose it could be worse. Will you be wearing a jacket?" Ava scoffs.

"Dad, the party is inside, we won't need jackets!"

"Yes you will; you're showing far too much skin." He scowls at me. I'm about to complain, but Mom cuts in.

"Christian, come on, let the girls enjoy their evening. Their outfits aren't too short!" She grabs his hand and practically drags him towards the door. "Bye, Teddy!" She yells up the stairs.

"Bye!" His voice calls out, as he leaves his room and comes downstairs. "Behave tonight, both of you." He tells us, looking more at Ava than at me. Someone walks down the stairs behind him. Ava's mouth falls open and I chew on my lip to stop myself doing the same. "Phoebe, you've met Dan." He says, reaching out and putting his fist under Ava's chin to shut her mouth, before turning to face Dan. "Dude, go put a shirt on, my little sister and my cousin are down here. They don't want to see that."

"Who says we don't?" Ava says flirtatiously, batting her eyelashes. I go beet red and glare at her, utterly embarrassed. She, on the other hand, looks thoroughly pleased with herself. I nudge her to make a point. "What?" She laughs. I look apologetically at Dan, who looks like he'd rather be anywhere other than here, before grabbing her arm and running upstairs to my room.

"What the fuck was that?!" I ask her, annoyed.

"What was what?" She asks, shrugging her shoulders as she removes the skirt she put over her dress.

"You know what. _'Who says we don't?'._" I say, mimicking her.

"Oh, that? That was a joke! I'm sure he took it that way, too." She laughs.

"You call that a joke? It wasn't even fucking funny. You probably really embarrassed him. Not to mention that Teddy will fucking flip."

"Damn fucking right, I will." Teddy says, as he walks into my room.

"How long were you standing out there?" Ava asks innocently.

"I just got here. What the fuck are you playing at Ava? I'm not having you embarrass everyone by throwing yourself at my friends." Teddy says, sternly.

"Oh, relax, both of you! It was a joke. Besides, I have a boyfriend." She reminds us, as she applies make-up.

"Fine, whatever you say." Teddy mutters, as he leaves the room.

"What would Brad say about you making a comment like that?" I ask her, pulling my jeans off.

"Brad wouldn't care. At the end of the day, that was just a joke. Besides, if he's annoyed, I can always make it up to him." She says, grinning slyly.

"Gross, Ava, I didn't need to hear that." I whine.

"Grow up, Phoebe. It's just sex. It's not a big deal." The doorbell rings. "Oh, that'll be Brad and Josh. I'll get it!" She practically skips out of the room.

I go over to my dressing table and start to apply my eyeliner as I think about what Ava said. Maybe she's right; I really do need to grow up. I grab the mascara and begin to apply it thickly to try to make me look at least slightly older.

"Boo!" Ava yells, as she comes into the room laughing. I jump and my hand slips. The mascara ends up half-way across my face.

"Fucking hell, Ava! You scared the living shit out of me!" I reach for my make-up wipes and attempt to fix the thick black line across my cheek.

"You're Phoebe then, I'm guessing?" Brad says, as he comes into the room. I look up at him, _'Wow, Ava did good.' _I think as I take in his appearance. He's tall, but not too tall and has his blond hair lightly gelled.

"_Obviously_." I remark sarcastically. I somehow manage to perfectly raise an eyebrow at him. He smirks at me.

"Bee, don't be rude!" Ava says to me, looking shocked. How she can consider _that _rude compared to how she can be is beyond me.

"Oh, relax, Ava, _it's just a joke!_" I mock her earlier statement.

"Hi, Phoebe, I'm Brad." A guy says, as he walks into the room. He's significantly shorter than the guy with blond hair and this one has hair so dark it's practically black. He walks over to Ava and hands her a bag with what I assume to be alcohol in.

"Wait, Brad?" I ask, confused. "But, if you're Brad then that makes you" I turn to face the blond guy, "Josh?"

"_Obviously._" He replies, drily, clearly mocking me. My mouth forms an 'o' shape.

"Come on then," Ava says, picking up the bag, "Let's get this party started!"

"Let's go get the glasses then." I say, standing up and heading downstairs.

Once we're in the kitchen, I get out four shot glasses and four half-pint glasses. "What first?" I ask.

"Have you got limes?" Brad asks. I look at him quizzically before pointing to the fridge. He goes to it and grabs out a whole lime. "In that case, it's tequila first."

Ava grabs the tequila bottle out of the bag and begins to pour it into the shot glasses while Brad slices the lime.

"Where's your salt?" Josh asks. _Why do we need salt? _

"It should be in the top cupboard on the left." I say. The doorbell rings, so I go to answer it, while they finish doing whatever it is they're doing.

"Teddy, door!" I yell, to warn him. I hear footsteps running along the landing. I open the door.

"I'll get it!" He yells as he gets to the top of the stairs. "Or apparently I won't." He says, seeing I've already opened it.

"Phoebe!" Hayley screeches as she hugs me. "How are you, darlin'?"

"Good thanks." I try to say, but she's squeezing me hard, making it barely audible. Over her shoulder I see Louise, Tom and a girl I don't recognise. I attempt to wave at them. "Hi, guys."

They smile at me, as Hayley lets me go, before all filing into the living room. I hear the faint clang of bottles in their bags.

Teddy and Dan come down the stairs to greet them, so I head back into the kitchen.

"Finally!" Ava cries.

"Jesus, I wasn't gone that long!" I tell her.

"We were waiting to do this, though." She says, gesturing to the lime and shot glasses.

"Yeah, about that, what even is this?" I ask, feeling immature and awkward for not knowing.

"You haven't done tequila slammers before?!" Josh asks, looking shocked. I shake my head. "Ok, give me your hand." I raise my eyebrow at him. "I need to pour salt on it."

"What? Why?"

"Just give me your hand, palm facing downwards." I do as he says. He pours a small line of salt along my hand and places the lime in that hand before handing me a shot glass. I look and see both Ava and Brad have done the same. "Now, it's simple. You lick the salt off of your hand, down the shot and suck the lime. You've got to do it as quickly as possible."

"Why?"

"Because it's fun! You ready?" He asks, as he finishes pouring his salt. We all nod in agreement. "Ok. 3, 2, 1, GO!"

I quickly lick the salt off of my hand; it tastes disgusting. I want to quickly wash it away, so I down the tequila. Suddenly my throat's on fire, so I quickly put the lime in my mouth, hoping it'll ease it. It doesn't.

"That was gross." I say, putting my shot glass down. Josh hands me a white bottle and a glass.

"Here, wash it down with this, if you hate it that much." I read the label _Malibu._

"It tastes like coconuts, and it's amazing with coke." Ava tells me, I see an identical bottle next to her, with the clear liquid already in her glass.

"Coke?!" I manage to choke out. Surely she hasn't gone that far?!

Ava begins to laugh a she goes to the cupboard. "Coke." She tells me, throwing a large bottle of _Coca-Cola _to me.

"Oh, coke." I mutter, relieved. I open the bottle but it fizzes up from where Ava threw it to me. I quickly manage to turn the lid away from me, but I end up getting it all down Josh's white shirt. "Shit!" I cry out, embarrassed.

"It's fine, it'll wash." Josh says, as he goes to the sink to try to wring it out slightly. I look at Ava and our eyes meet as we both begin to laugh.

As we finish making our drinks, we head into the living room. There's about 20 people here now, most of whom I don't recognise. I head over to the long sofa, with Ava, Brad and Josh in tow.

"Not a chance!" Zoey says, walking over to us.

"Not a chance?" I ask, confused as to what she means.

"Not a chance are you just going to sit here awkwardly. Come on, we're about to play ring of fire!" She says, grabbing my hand and dragging me towards the middle of the room, where several of Teddy's friends have just sat down. I gesture to Ava, Brad and Josh to follow.

"What does ring of fire mean?" I whisper to Ava.

"It means we're going to get really fucking drunk." She grins. "Oh, that, and we're probably going to need more than just one glass each."


End file.
